1Und es arbeiteten Bezaleel, und Oholiab, und alle willigen kunstverständigen Männer, welchen Jehova Einsicht und Kenntniß gegeben hatte, daß sie verstanden, zu machen alle Kunstwerke des Dienstes am Heiligthum, nach Allem, was Jehova geboten hatte. 2Da rief Mose den Bezaleel und Oholiab, und alle willigen kunstverständigen Männer, denen Jehova Einsicht in ihr Herz gegeben hatte, Alle, die ihr Herz bewog, an's Werk zu treten, und daran zu arbeiten. 3Und sie nahmen von Mose allerlei Hebopfer, welche die Söhne Israels brachten zum Kunstwerke des Dienstes am Heiligthume. Während man nun daran arbeitete, brachten sie auch ferner noch zu ihm freiwillige Gaben von Morgen zu Morgen. 4Da kamen alle Kunstverständigen, die alle Kunstwerke des Heiligthumes machten, ein Jeder von dem Werke, das sie machten, 5und redeten zu Mose und sprachen: Das Volk bringt mehr, als die Arbeit erfordert zum Werke, das Jehova zu machen geboten hat. 6Da gebot Mose, daß man durch's Lager ausrufe und spreche: Weder Mann noch Frau soll ferner eine Arbeit machen zum Hebopfer für's Heiligthum; da hörte das Volk auf darzubringen. 7Und die Arbeiten reichten hin zur ganzen Arbeit, um sie zu vollbringen; ja es war noch übrig. 8Da machten alle willigen Kunstverständigen unter den Arbeitern die Wohnung, zehn Tücher aus gezwirnter Baumwolle, und blauem Purpur, und rothem Purpur, und Koccus, mit Cherubim, künstlich gewirkt machten sie dieselben. 9Die Länge eines Tuches war acht und zwanzig Ellen, und die breite vier Ellen - ein Tuch; dieselbe Größe hatten alle Tücher. 10Und er band fünf Tücher eins an das andere; und wieder fünf Tücher band er eins an das andere. 11Und er machte Schlingen von blauem Purpur an den Rand des einen Tuches, am Ende der Zusammensetzung; eben so machte er es am äußersten Rande des Tuches bei der zweiten Zusammensetzung. 12Fünfzig Schlingen machte er an dem einen Tuche, und fünfzig Schlingen machte er am Ende des Tuches, wo es mit dem zweiten zusammengesetzt wurde; einander gegenüber gesetzt waren diese Schlingen. 13Und er macht fünfzig goldene Haken, und verband die Tücher mit einander durch die Haken, daß die Wohnung ein Ganzes war. 14Und er machte Tücher von Ziegenfellen zum Zelte über die Wohnung, eilf Tücher machte er. 15Ein Tuch dreißig Ellen lang, und vier Ellen breit - ein Tuch; dieselbe Größe hatten die eilf Tücher. 16Und er verband fünf Tücher besonders, und sechs Tücher besonders. 17Und er machte fünfzig Schlingen am äußersten Rande des Tuches, wo es zusammengefügt wurde, und fünfzig Schlingen machte er am Rande des Tuches, das zum zweiten zusammengefügt wurde. 18Und er machte fünfzig eherne Haken, das Zelt zusammen zu fügen, daß es ein Ganzes wurde. 19Und er machte eine Decke über das Zelt von rothen Widderfellen, und eine Decke von Thahasfellen darüber. 20Und er machte die Bretter zur Wohnung, von Acacienholz, aufrecht stehend. 21Zehn Ellen lang ein Brett, und anderthalb Ellen breit ein Brett. 22Zwei Bandleisten an ein Brett, eingreifend die eine in die andere; so machte er's an allen Brettern der Wohnung; 23und er machte die Bretter für die Wohnung - zwanzig Bretter für die Südseite gegen Mittag; 24und vierzig silberne Füße machte er unter die zwanzig Bretter; zwei Füße unter das eine Brett nach seinen zwei Bandleisten, ebenso zwei Füße unter das andere Brett nach seinen zwei Bandleisten. 25Und für die zweite Seite der Wohnung auf der Nordseite machte er zwanzig Bretter, 26und vierzig silberne Füße, zwei Füße unter ein Brett, abermal zwei Füße unter das andere Brett. 27Und für die Hinterseite der Wohnung gegen Abend machte er sechs Bretter; 28und zwei Bretter machte er an den Ecken der Wohnung an beiden Seiten. 29Und sie waren gedoppelt von unten, und ebenso stark nach oben hin, bis zum ersten Ringe; so machte er's mit beiden, an beiden Ecken; 30so daß es acht Bretter waren mit ihren Füßen von Silber, sechzehn Füße; je zwei Füße unter einem Brette. 31Und er machte Riegel von Acacienholz, fünf für die Bretter der einen Seite der Wohnung; 32und fünf Riegel für die Bretter der zweiten Seite der Wohnung; und fünf Riegel für die Bretter der Hinterseite der Wohnung gegen Abend. 33Und er machte den mittleren Riegel so, daß er in der Mitte der Bretter durchging, von einem Ende zum andern. 34Und die Bretter überzog er mit Gold, und die Ringe machte er von Gold, um die Riegel hineinzuthun, und überzog die Riegel mit Gold. 35Und er machte den Vorhang von blauem Purpur, von rothem Purpur, und von Koccus, und gezwirnter Baumwolle; künstlich gewirkt machte er ihn mit Cherubim. 36Und er machte für ihn vier Säulen von Acacienholz, und überzog sie mit Gold, ihre Nägel von Gold, und goß für sie vier silberne Füße. 37Und er machte einen Vorhang zum Eingang des Zeltes, von blauem Purpur, und rothem Purpur, und Koccus, und gezwirnter Baumwolle, bunt gewirkt; 38und fünf Säulen dazu und Nägel, und überzog ihre Köpfe, und ihre Querstangen mit Gold, und fünfzig Füße daran von Erz.
Matthew Henry - Complete Commentary 1 I. The workmen set in without delay. Then they wrought,
Exod 36:1. When God had qualified them for the work, then they applied themselves to it. Note, The talents we are entrusted with must not be laid up, but laid out; not hid in a napkin, but traded with. What have we all our gifts for, but to do good with them? They began when Moses called them,
Exod 36:2. Even those whom God has qualified for, and inclined to, the service of the tabernacle, yet must wait for a regular call to it, either extraordinary, as that of prophets and apostles, or ordinary, as that of pastors and teachers. And observe who they were that Moses called: Those
in whose heart God had put wisdom for this purpose, beyond their natural capacity, and
whose heart stirred them up to come to the work in good earnest. Note, Those are to be called to the building of the gospel tabernacle whom God has by his grace made in some measure fit for the work and free to engage in it. Ability and willingness (with resolution) are the two things to be regarded in the call of ministers. Has God given them not only knowledge, but wisdom? (for those that would win souls must be wise, and have their hearts stirred up to come to the work, and not to the honour only; to do it, and not to talk of it only), let them come to it with full purpose of heart to go through with it. The materials which the people had contributed were delivered by Moses to the workmen,
Exod 36:3. They could not create a tabernacle, that is, make it out of nothing, nor work, unless they had something to work upon; the people therefore brought the materials and Moses put them into their hands. Precious souls are the materials of the gospel tabernacle; they are
built up a spiritual house, 1Pet 2:5. To this end they are to offer themselves a free-will offering to the Lord, for his service (
Roma 15:16), and they are then committed to the care of his ministers, as builders, to be framed and wrought upon by their edification and increase in holiness, till they all come, like the curtains of the tabernacle,
in the unity of the faith, to be a holy temple, Ephes 2:21,
Ephes 2:22;
Ephes 4:12,
Ephes 4:13.
II. The contributions restrained. The people continued to bring
free offerings every morning, Exod 36:3. Note, We should always make it our morning's work to bring our offerings unto the Lord; even the spiritual offerings of prayer and praise, and a broken heart surrendered entirely to God. This is that which the duty of every day requires. God's compassions are new every morning, and so must our duty to him be. Probably there were some that were backward at first to bring their offering, but their neighbours' forwardness stirred them up and shamed them. The zeal of some provoked many. There are those who will be content to follow who yet do not care for leading in a good work. It is best to be forward, but better late than never. Or perhaps some who had offered at first, having pleasure in reflecting upon it, offered more; so far were they from grudging what they had contributed, that they doubled their contribution. Thus, in charity,
give a portion to seven, and also to eight; having given much, give more. Now observe, 1. The honesty of the workmen. When they had cut out their work, and found how their stuff held out, and that the people were still forward to bring in more, they went in a body to Moses to tell him that there needed no more contributions,
Exod 36:4,
Exod 36:5. Had they sought their own things, they had now a fair opportunity of enriching themselves by the people's gifts; for they might have made up their work, and converted the overplus to their own use, as perquisites of their place. But they were men of integrity, that scorned to do so mean a thing as to sponge upon the people, and enrich themselves with that which was offered to the Lord. Those are the greatest cheats that cheat the public. If to murder many is worse than to murder one, by the same rule to defraud communities, and to rob the church or state, is a much greater crime than to pick the pocket of a single person. But these workmen were not only ready to account for all they received, but were not willing to receive more than they had occasion for, lest they should come either into the temptation or under the suspicion of taking it to themselves. These were men that knew when they had enough. 2. The liberality of the people. Though they saw what an abundance was contributed, yet they continued to offer, till they were forbidden by proclamation,
Exod 36:6,
Exod 36:7. A rare instance! Most need a spur to quicken their charity; few need a bridle to check it, yet these did. Had Moses aimed to enrich himself, he might have suffered them still to bring in their offerings; and when the work was finished might have taken the remainder to himself: but he also preferred the public before his own private interest, and was therein a good example to all in public trusts. It is said (
Exod 36:6),
The people were restrained from bringing; they looked upon it as a restraint upon them not to be allowed to do more for the tabernacle; such was the zeal of those people, who gave
to their power, yea, and beyond their power, praying the collectors
with much entreaty to receive the gift, 2Cor 8:3,
2Cor 8:4. These were the fruits of a first love; in these last-days charity has grown too cold for us to expect such things from it.
8 The first work they set about was the framing of the house, which must be done before the furniture of it was prepared. This house was not made of timber or stone, but of curtains curiously embroidered and coupled together. This served to typify the state of the church in this world, the palace of God's kingdom among men. 1. Though it is upon the earth, yet its foundation is not in the earth, as that of a house is; no, Christ's kingdom is not of this world, nor founded in it. 2. It is mean and mutable, and in a militant state; shepherds dwelt in tents, and God is the Shepherd of Israel; soldiers dwelt in tents, and the Lord is a man of war, and his church marches through an enemy's country, and must fight its way. The kings of the earth enclose themselves in cedar (
Jer 22:15), but the ark of God was lodged in curtains only. 3. Yet there is a beauty in holiness; the curtains were embroidered, so is the church adorned with the gifts and graces of the Spirit, that
raiment of needle-work, Pss 45:14. 4. The several societies of believers are united in one, and, as here, all
become one tabernacle; for there is one Lord, one faith, and one baptism. 14 Here, 1. The shelter and special protection that the church is under are signified by the curtains of hair-cloth, which were spread over the tabernacle, and the covering of rams' skins and badgers' skins over them,
Exod 36:14-
Exod 36:19. God has provided for his people a
shadow from the heat, and a covert from storm and rain, Isa 4:6. They are armed against all weathers; the sun and the moon shall not smite them: and they are protected from the storms of divine wrath, that hail which will
sweep away the refuge of lies, Isa 28:17. Those that dwell in God's house shall find, be the tempest ever so violent, or the dropping ever so continual, it does not rain in. 2. The strength and stability of the church, though it is but a tabernacle, are signified by the boards and bars with which the curtains were borne up,
Exod 36:20-
Exod 36:34. The boards were coupled together and joined by the bars which shot through them; for the union of the church, and the hearty agreement of those that are its stays and supporters, contribute abundantly to its strength and establishment.
35 In the building of a house there is a great deal of work about the doors and partitions. In the tabernacle these were answerable to the rest of the fabric; there were curtains for doors, and veils for partitions. 1. There was a veil made for a partition between the holy place, and the most holy,
Exod 36:35,
Exod 36:36. This signified the darkness and distance of that dispensation, compared with the New Testament, which shows us the glory of God more clearly and invites us to draw near to it; and the darkness and distance of our present state, in comparison with heaven, where we shall be
ever with the Lord and
see him as he is. 2. There was a veil made for the door of the tabernacle,
Exod 36:37,
Exod 36:38. At this door the people assembled, though forbidden to enter; for, while we are in this present state, we must get as near to God as we can.